Senators angry over killings in Adamawa

Senators were seething with anger yesterday over the odious killing of students in Mubi.

It was during the consideration of a motion of urgent national importance.

The lawmakers did not hide their indignation, fury and anger over the abysmal failure of the government to protect lives and protect.

While some of the lawmakers insisted that the government should be made to wake up and be responsive to its responsibilities, especially provision of security, others suggested that a vote of no confidence should be passed on the government for its inability to secure lives and property.

Senate President David Mark said the government must do what is needful; fish out the perpetrators of the act and punish them, according to the law of the land.

For Mark, when those responsible for the heinous crime in Mubi are apprehended, they should be used to test the law on capital punishment..

The mover of the motion, Senator Bindowo Mohammed Jibrilla (Adamawa North), said very few words.

Jibrilla simply said the death of innocent students “is unacceptable”.

The Senate, he said, should set up a plan that will ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.

Mark said: “That these students and people were killed did not happen as a result of their own fault.

“Every state government today has some responsibility towards providing security to those who live in that state.

“The Federal Government also has responsibility. We all have responsibility including the local governments. People are not killing in the United States because of unemployment. People are not killing in Norway where a man went berserk and killed so many holiday makers; people are not killing because of unemployment or desertification or flooding.

“I think this is a very serious issue and if we don’t tackle the real issue and we begin to go on diversionary expeditions, then, we will be missing the point.

“The security challenges before us in this country are grievous, and we have to tackle them headlong.

“On the specific issue of these Mubi killings, I think it is a pity that people will move from one room to the other, calling names, dragging them out and killing them; slaughtering them.

“This is totally unacceptable. Even if it is just attacking the symptoms now, those involved must be arrested and brought to book.

“I know that this is a democracy and, with due respect to all of us, capital punishment is still in our statute.

“This is an opportunity for us to test it and use it as deterrence to others and that has to be done as fast and as speedy as possible.

“It is not that crimes don’t take place in other countries. They do. But it is the reaction of government. The speed with which those who are involved are arrested, tried and punished accordingly. But when they happen in this country, after a week, we just try to forget it and wait for the next one to happen.

“I think we have gone beyond the time for us to sing these songs of lamentation every now and again. We should not be lamenting. I think we should be able to act.

“Government needs to act as quickly and as fast as possible. Terrorists will succeed once they can stop government from doing what government wants to do.

“Now Nigerians are being scared of sending their children to polytechnics and universities because today it is in Mubi, who knows where it is going to happen in the next town.

“How many policemen can you put in our various polytechnics and universities in this country?

“It is completely impossible. There is no way. It does not matter how much you fund the security agencies. I think there are very serious security challenges and we must address them.”

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu said: “It is a sad day for us as a country and I sympathise with the whole country.”

He said, “Let us imagine that we are the parents of those people killed.

“Some are the only child, some are the hopes of their families while others are investments.

“You can imagine the pains to these families.

“This is not an isolated case; it is everywhere in the Southeast. It is evil, uncalled for and totally condemnable.

“What happened in Mubi is a failure of security. Whether it is robbery or Boko Haram, it is the inability of security agents to secure the people. We are challenged as a country and we need to live up to this challenge.”

Senator Bello Mohammed Tukur (Adamawa Central) said what happened in Mubi should be a matter of serious concern to every Nigerian.

Bello said nobody could say exactly what led to the mayhem.

The lawmaker said he was aware that people are leaving Mubi in large numbers moving towards Yola, the state capital.

He said some people claimed that a similar incident was happening in Gumbi, a town between Mubi and Yola.

“One cannot say exactly who they are but the security agents should be in a position to tell us,” Bello said, adding:

“About a month ago, there was increase in security agents in the area and they were engaged in house-to-house search.

“Mubi was closed down for three days, nobody was coming in or going out of the house.

“As a result, 156 people were arrested and brought to barracks in Yola.

“All these brought about a lot of tension in Mubi town. Some of those arrested were not members of Boko Haram; some are not natives. This is beginning to be worrisome. Every day, the urban settlement is being affected. If care is not taken, it may get to Yola and Jalingo and before we know it, the whole North may be consumed. We have to quickly wage into this problem and see what the Executive can do urgently to curtail the problem.”

Senator Mathew Nwagwu (Imo North) asked how long Nigerians would continue to watch helplessly while innocent people are killed.

He said: “When all the churches are burnt down, it will be mosques and when students are finished, it may be the Senate.

“Mr President should take more proactive measures. It is unbecoming of Nigerians to take reprisal attacks. The government should tell us if it is not able to handle the problem. The Senate should condemn the killing and send a strong message to the President to clear the issue. We are under siege and something should be done fast.”

Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central) said “even during the Abacha regime it was not like this.

“Everyone will notice that the rate of unemployment and poverty is high and for me, the present administration has not delivered the dividends of democracy to the people.

“For me, it is high time we declared a vote of no confidence on the President.”

Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi (Ekiti North) said: “If we were cut down in our youth, most of us would not have been here. What happened in Mubi is the destruction of our future.

“My contribution is not so much to the perpetrators of the crime but to speak the truth to those in authority. Power is supposed to provide security of lives and property and this is where the government has failed.

“We are all parents and we have children in school locally and internationally. The question we should ask ourselves is where is safe in Nigeria?

“Police barracks that are fortified have been attacked. Emirs, churches and mosques have been attacked. People have been attacked on the streets; now it is the turn of students who represent the future of the country.

“Is Nigeria really standing or failing? Is the constitution standing or dying?

“We will soon rise to observe one minute silence in honour of the victims, but, Mr. President, I don’t think that is what we should be doing here.”

To Senator Barnabas Gemade ( Benue North East), it looks like there is a programme to destabilise the economy of these parts of the country.

He added: “While we talk about porous borders, it looks as if we have porous cities.

“If we cannot protect our borders, security agents should be able to protect the cities and ensure they are not as porous as borders.”

David Mark and his senators can pretend to be angry at the killings but we all know they don’t care. All they care for are huge unmerited salaries and allowances, bribes extraction from every stakeholder to every bill before them, 4x4s, money laundering and land acquisition everywhere, etc. The vast majority of them are PDP members, protected in their treasury-looting by the almighty umbrella. False propaganda and crocodile tears will not save the PDP from the dire consequencies of their looting spree and systematic destruction of Nigeria.

All these Senators are fooling each other they are going to do nothing about anything. How can you pass a vote on the president while must of knows what is going on or may be Bks. Up till today nothing has been said about your member that was aiding them infos and money. Now! what can you do when you can’t even check mate your members. You all are Liers…..

Adamu Ahmed

Why are you angry? You the dishonourable Hon. Senators are the cause of our problems today. A year salary of a Senator can give Nigerians 100 mini factories in the villages. You are angry. What type anger when you have looted everything with impunity. Wait, one day we shall all march to that building and teach you people the lessons your fifth generation will never forget.

Emmanuel

Who’s next….?

matthew

may there souls rest in peace.

Skill

Why do governments accuse governments. It is too shameful that a senator will consciously rise up to abuse or accuse the president. What a nonse of the senate. When you talk of the government, who are they? Can you pass vote of no confidence on one arm of an administration? Since you are seating and politicking with the lives of nigerians, just remember what senator Bindowo said. I also want to remind you wicked senators that killings for now may be isolated, but will flood be? Its a matter of time, the killings will also knw no bounds.David mark more grace to your elbos, but you must be completely detrabalized because there is no reason for lawlessness.

Austeen

For how long must we continue to see & hear these leaders say thesame things over & over? Each time killings of this nature is carried out we see & hear them make all manner of comments & condemnation but at the end of it all the story remains thesame……Nothing is done to at least show that things can be done or handled differently. We are hearing about capital punishment today from the senate president when common conviction of the perpertrators of such acts is more like an impossible task as far as our laws are concern. When will we see a muderer or killer or a terrorist sentenced to at least a jail term? When?

Ayo

it is time to try the chinese treatment… suffer no witch or terrorist to live! chikena

VIASHIMA TIMOTHY

it is unfortunate, for the senate condenming the executive for the killings of student when all of them have to meet with the executive to find the lasting solutions to this barbaric act. when is nigerian going to change? the truth should be told irrespective of whose horse is gorged please. the president cannot be everywhere, what is the work of the state governors, the local government chairmen, is their’s only collection of salaries; please enough of this barbaric acts, if the country does not like the present administration, they should do away with it rather than pointing accusing and accusation fingers please, enough is enough

Nigeria, we hail thee,is the poorman prayer in this country. when the rich are not involved, they . dont give a dam..must this insecurity get out of hand before people can be allowed to carry arms. we all know that our security men alone can not protect us any more. take a look at the statistics for yourself.GOD bless Nigeria.

Toks

These are the tragic consequences of a failed state which Nigeria has become. It could not be worse if Nigeria was at war, yet these so called law makers are ‘talking’ instead of aggressively pursuing solutions to this wanton criminality !!. Maybe if the family of law makers are targetted, they will come to know what others are suffering. Nigeria has become a killing field for BH prosecutors as well as mercenerries on the payroll of anti-GEJ protagonists and GEJ is his deluded state of mind is like a ‘rabbit frozen in front of the headlights’ of an on coming car !!.
Is there hope for our country ? Is there a future for the project Nigeria ? This is a slippery slope that will lead to a collapse and a disintegration.

jameselijah

The problem is that the hausa/fulani muslims have not made up their mind to stop the assault on the dying Nigerian nation. A section wants to stop but the other section refuse to give up their evil extremist agenda! Senator Bello Mohammed Tukur (Adamawa Central) says that “Some of those arrested were not members of Boko Haram;….” I wonder how he knows this from his air-conditioned Abuja dwelling protected by security personnel whose colleagues are fighting the boko haram insurgency in the North and getting killed in the process. He should know because the hausa/fulani know who the terrorists are and those who are not but they refuse to give them up. Senator Tukur, every new atrocity by your people brings the day of reckoning nearer for you and your ilk. Mark these words!